In past four years, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a phenomenal transformation, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Monday while speaking about the situation in the union territory since the withdrawal of Article 370. at a roundtable discussion organized by India Foundation. The LG highlighted the abolition of the “discriminatory policies” that had been in place over seven decades. As a result, citizens, according to the LG, now enjoy equal opportunities for development.
As evidence, the LG explained how common citizens of J&K can freely express their thoughts without fear. Sinha said his administration is committed to establishing peace rather than seeking to buy it, an approach that on ground has meant zero tolerance for separatist voices. He mentioned the revival of Muharram processions in Kashmir after 34 years, the reopening of cinemas, and an unprecedented influx of tourists to the Union Territory.
At the discussion, experts, eminent personalities, and senior functionaries praised the initiatives taken by the UT administration for promoting equal and inclusive development in J&K. It is true that the situation in J&K has changed beyond recognition since 2019. This is also borne out by a report by Ministry of Home Affairs early this year. On the development front, the report says that the BJP government at the centre has brought an investment of Rs 56,000 crores in just three years. Under the Prime Minister’s Development Package in Jammu, the report mentions, J&K got about 63 projects in hydroelectricity at a cost of Rs 80,000 crore.
Security-wise also, the situation has transformed to a large extent. This has happened incrementally over the period with violence declining sharply, reaching its lowest last year. Earlier, an MHA review highlighted the progress made in J&K over the last year on economic and security fronts. The union territory, the report said, witnessed “a 54 percent reduction in terrorist incidents, a 22 percent drop in recruitment of militants and 84 percent decline in the deaths of security forces.” In real terms, the militancy related violence has decreased from 417 incidents in 2018 to 229 in 2021 while the number of slain security personnel had reduced from 91 in 2018 to 42 in 2021.
One biggest indicator of the new normalcy, as highlighted by the home minister, has been the growth of tourism, And last year is said to have broken all previous records. According to the tourist officials, the number of tourists Kashmir received last year is the highest so far, beating by far even the pre-turmoil period record. This has generated employment for the thousands of people who had lost their jobs during Covid pandemic. Going forward, the situation looks set to only improve further, hopefully with all other political and social drivers of the place remaining unchanged.
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